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Beacon 1996 trail sign

Recently I found some old rolls of film (back in the 20th century cameras had something called 'film' and had to be processed with nasty chemiclas to retrieve the images) I had a CD made for the modern PC friendly digital images.Most of these old pictures were of a 1990s cycling adventure I had gone on.I had deduced,from the fact I had taken a photo of an Amtrak Turboliner and the photo of the train and locomotives used by Metro North I had taken to Beacon,the year was 1996.

On this multi-modal cycling adventure,I had taken the Metro North train to Beacon with my bicycle.I then rode across the I84 Newburgh-Beacon bridge on the south side bike-ped lane/deck.From Newburgh I then rode south,following the river more or less,to and through the village of Cornwall on Hudson.Then mostly uphill for a scenic ride along the back of Storm King Mtn.on SR 218,with a spectacular overlook high above the Hudson river.

I then entered West Point via the back entrance,which was open back then.I think my original intent was to ride to West Point and back to Beacon,or perhaps via the Bear Mtn. bridge to Peekskill.(this would explain why I may have had only a 1 way ticket to Beacon) However,when exploring the grounds of west point,I saw a sign for a ferry.(did I previously know of this ferry? - I don't remember) I rode to the ferry dock and inquired as to where it went from West point and if I could take my bicycle onboard.The destination was Peekskill,and I could take my bicycle on board.And so I would have a beautiful ferry ride on the Hudson going under the Bear Mtn. Bridge.I would take the train back to Poughkeepsie from Peekskill.In all that day I only rode about 30 miles.

Among the old photos,I found one of the Beacon Hudson line station area with a Greenway trail sign pointing to the currently named Klara Sauer trail.It seems this rail-with-trail along the river in Beacon has been around longer than what I had thought.1996 would have been a year after Metro North purchased,what is now known as,the Beacon line.At that time,I had read about trail development along the ROW - IE: a rail-with-trail.A section of what was suposed to be a trail along the entire row in NY,was built in Putnam county.There the trail is known as the Maybrook Trailway.East of Hopewell Jct.,the single track is technicaly what is left of the double tracked Maybrook line to Danbury CT.There was a bru ha ha with MNRR over the clearence between the trail and the track,and so only a short section was completed in Putnam county.

ca.1996 - south end of the Metro North Beacon Hudson line station

old sign and name for trail (digital - Nikon Coolpix S560)

new sign and name for the trail - as of 2009 (digital - Nikon Coolpix S560)

KINGSTON – The Catskill Mountain Railroad Company has completed a study that it said indicates the railroad and a rail trail can coexist side by side.

Ulster County Executive Michael Hein’s plan for a rail trail from Kingston to the Ashokan Reservoir excluded the railroad, but Chairman Harry Jameson III said both can exist next to one another and in fact, the railroad offers a more comprehensive experience for everyone.

“Handicapped people, elderly people, children that are too young will also be able to provide experience in all types of weather where a trail has certain specific uses,” Jameson said.

Despite their differences, Jameson told Hein in a letter that the railroad applauds the county executive’s efforts to secure funding for the trail and believes it will enhance the corridor.

Jameson also said Hein’s efforts to open up the Ashokan Reservoir for recreational use would make it a popular destination like the Walkway Over the Hudson, but it would also bring traffic congestion and parking issues along the Route 28 corridor, “unless the railroad is there to help alleviate those problems.”